French Defense, Exchange Variation with ...Bg4

Even though I won four games at the USATE 2009, my best effort was probably the one game that I drew. It featured a variation in the French Defense that has a drawish reputation. But this game was not a quiet draw.

Round Five: French Defense, Exchange Variation

Jim West (USCF 2214) - Rodion Rubenchik (USCF 2343), USATE 2/16/2009

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.Nf3 Bd6 5.Bd3 Bg4 6.O-O Ne7 7.Re1 Nbc6 8.c3 Qd7 9.Nbd2 O-O-O 10.b4 Rde8 11.Qa4 Kb8 12.b5 Nd8 13.Ba3 f6

14.Bxd6 Qxd6 15.Re3 Qd7 16.Rae1 Nf5 17.Rxe8 Rxe8 18.Rxe8 Qxe8 19.h3 Bxf3 20.Nxf3 Nd6 21.Qb3 Qf7 22.a4 b6 23.Nd2 N8b7 24.Qc2 h6 25.Nf1 Na5 26.Ne3 Nac4 27.Nxc4 dxc4 28.Be2 a6 29.Bf3 axb5 30.axb5 Kc8


31.Qa4 Kd8 32.Qa8+ Ke7 33.Qc6 Kf8 34.Bd5 Qe7 35.Kf1 f5 36.Bxc4 Ne4 37.Qd5 Qf6 38.Qa8+ Ke7 39.Bd3 Nd6 40.Qc6 Kd8 41.Be2 Qg5 42.g3 Qc1+ 43.Kg2 Qb2 44.Bf1 g6 45.Qa8+ Ke7 46.Qc6 Kd8 47.Qa8+ Ke7 48.Qc6, draw.